Maryland Environmental Trust To Celebrate 1,000 Properties Protected In Perpetuity

Milestone Event to Be Held at Holly Hill Farm

Annapolis, Md. (September 3, 2009) – On Saturday, October 3rd, the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) will hold a celebration of 1,000 conservations easements. The milestone event will be held at the historic Holly Hill farm, located at 333 Friendship Road in Anne Arundel County (view a map). The event will include locally grown food, wine and local seafood, music and a rare opportunity to tour the house and gardens at Holly Hill.

Tickets are $100 per person. Proceeds will go to MET’s Land Preservation Programs. Music at the event will be provided by the Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition, one of the hottest bluegrass bands in the mid-Atlantic area. Reservations must be made by September 28 by contacting the Maryland Environmental Trust at 410-514-7901 or lholmes@dnr.state.md.us. Sponsorships are also still available. For more information on sponsoring this event, please contact Elizabeth Buxton at 410-514-7901 or ebuxton@dnr.state.md.us.

Holly Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally named Holland Hills, the property was surveyed in 1663 and purchased in 1665 by Richard Harrison, a Quaker Planter and ship owner. The house was built in three stages between 1698 and 1733 and is one of the largest and best preserved examples of the Medieval Transitional style of architectural in Maryland. Read a site description from the Maryland Historical Trust.

The property is owned by the Clagett Family, who recently donated a conservation easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust. The easement will permanently protect the conservation values of the entire 255 acre farm. A conservation easement is a tool for landowners to protect natural resources and preserve scenic open space. The landowner who gives an easement limits the right to develop and subdivide the land, now and in the future, but still remains the owner. The organization accepting the easement agrees to monitor it forever to ensure compliance with its terms.

A statewide land trust governed by a citizen board of trustees, the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) was established in 1967 by the Maryland General Assembly to preserve privately owned farm and forest lands and significant natural resources. MET is one of the oldest and most successful land trusts in the country. MET works with over 50 local land trusts and provides landowners information and tools to permanently protect natural, historic and scenic resources in the state. MET has protected over 122,000 acres across the state.

MET promotes the protection of open land through its Land Conservation Program, Monitoring and Stewardship Program and Local Land Trust Assistance Program. MET also provides grants to environmental education projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program. For more information, visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/met.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov